Undergraduate and graduate students in third-level institutions both north and south of the Border are invited to take part in this year's Royal Irish Academy/ Irish Times biochemistry writing competition. Sponsored by Yamanouchi Ireland, it has a prize fund of €1,400.
To take part, you must write a 1,500-word newspaper article suitable for general readers, explaining any new topic in biochemistry. You can cover medical, agricultural or industrial aspects but must use everyday language.
Although you can focus on international developments, you should also refer to related research in Ireland and to any commercial sponsorship for the work.
Your article should also be relevant and appealing to general readers. If writing about medical advances, for example, include details about a disease's incidence, underlying causes, diagnosis and treatment.
Use photographs, graphics or tables to illustrate your work.
The first prize is €1,000 and a bronze sculpture by John Coen. The winning entry will also be published in The Irish Times. Some editing may be required to facilitate publication. Second prize is a cheque for €400.
Submit your article and a full CV by e-mail to m.deegan@ria.ie by Monday March 24th, 2003. The judges, who are nominated by the academy, will take entrants' adherence to these guidelines into account.
Further information is available at the academy's website, www.ria.ie, where you can also download last year's winning report by Brona Murphy.